I Regret To Inform You That People On LinkedIn Are Finding All Kinds Of Lessons In "Squid Game"

Did we all watch the same Squid Game???

If you've been online for even a second in the last couple of weeks, you know about Squid Game.

Netflix / Via giphy.com

If you haven't watched yet, it's a Korean drama on Netflix that centers on a group of people drowning in debt who are lured into playing a deadly game in hopes of becoming wealthy. It's well made, timely, and seriously suspenseful — and also super-duper dark and disturbing.

Well, it has come to my attention that Squid Game fever has even reached the professional networking site LinkedIn, where my feed is now filled to the brim with posts about business and career lessons in the show.

Netflix / Via giphy.com

Finding lessons in pop culture is nothing new (we've recently posted about money lessons in Animal Crossing for example), but what's striking about these Squid Game posts is the fact that so many professionals are openly taking business and career tips from a murderous game inspired by the very worst that capitalism has to offer. Not exactly the kind of inspo that you'd hope to see your boss smashing the like button on, right?

So here's a taste of what the Squid Game game discourse looks like on, of all places, LinkedIn.

First, some folks are interested in learning from the strategies that players embraced to stay alive:

1. "This Korean thriller is not far from reality and wonderfully teaches more than mere 'Management' lessons by way of childhood games."

LinkedIn

"Game 1: Red Light, Green Light

Move with a plan towards your goal. Just moving fast, is not important, as everyone will have a different pace to reach their goal.

Game 2: Honeycomb
If you can leverage your knowledge, to envisage the future, use it (one of the players chose an easy game, as he was aware of the game beforehand). Also, in order to achieve your goal, dare to think outside the box."

2. "2) Honeycomb: Be Dynamic. Dare to challenge conventional methods. To survive, prepare to think outside the box."

LinkedIn

"3) Tug of War : Be Agile

Strong players don't make great teams. Decisive leaders with a vision and strategy often do.

4) Marble Game: Be Empathetic
Kindness goes a long way. Compassion and empathy would always drive better results.

5) Glass stepping stones: 'Culture eats strategy for breakfast'
Learning from mistakes is crucial - from one's own and from other's. Making the same mistakes can be costly. Strong Organizational cultures steer people to make the most of their mistakes."

But others seem more like they identified with the masked game masters*:

*Mild spoiler alert: Those are the villains.

3. "The first game played in the first episode of Squid Game, the Red Light, Green Light, can be related to a simple and easy continuous improvement tool: Traffic Light Assessment."

LinkedIn

"It focuses on three levels: 𝐫𝐞𝐝 (𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩), 𝐲𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 (𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧), 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 (𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞). The company can quickly identify good and poor performance, and the management can make appropriate decisions to achieve the best performance for the organisation."

4. "Have fun!"

LinkedIn

"You still receive your salary and perks, despite dealing with a bad boss or stupid colleagues. While you search [for] your new role, remember to inject fun in your life, build trust and allies in the workplace, that'll last you a lifetime."

5. "At first you see a group of pathetic people with pathetic lives, taken advantage of in their most vulnerable state."

LinkedIn

"By Episode 3 it all changes, and you see the human condition.

By the end, you see yourself and are left wondering, What would I do in the same situation? It's a beautiful build on the timeless question: Can money buy you happiness?"

6. "In business, you need a top notch SALES leader to acquire customers."

LinkedIn

There are even Squid Game themed recruiting and sales posts, for some reason?

7. "The one culture value we love the most out of Squid games is 'Equal Opportunity' and that's what [company] always stood for."

LinkedIn

"This is a chance to join the green team powered by great team spirit, culture, empathy, and vision."

8. "So my question to you is very simple……"

LinkedIn

"🦑 If you are a professional, are you worried your skill sets are going to be irrelevant soon?

🦑 If you are a business owner, are you struggling or trying to make ends meet?
🦑 Can you create a side hustle from a hobby of yours and create additional income or even a backup plan for the future?
🦑 If you are looking for a job, are there other ways to stand out as a candidate or add value to companies with your new added skills?

If the answer is "YES" to anyone of them......

I have good news for you if you too are keen to get out of this SQUID GAME AND TRIUMPH as a WINNER."

Still others are finding ways to tie the themes of Squid Game into more specific lessons about various business topics, and even personal branding:

9. "Did you know that the recent Netflix hit, Squid Game, actually has a lot of valuable personal branding lessons?"

LinkedIn

10. "This article neatly explores some of the show’s PR and marketing lessons that any brand can jump on."

LinkedIn

"1)   Word-of-mouth can be more successful than even the largest of paid ad campaigns.

2)   When your brand has a vital TikTok trend, it’s bound for success.

3)   We don’t know what consumers really want until they show us."

11. "Is investing a 'Squid Game'?? 2 investing lessons learned."

LinkedIn

Now it's your turn. What are your takeaways after watching Squid Game? Share what this series made you think about in the comments.

Note: Some posts have been edited for clarity.